1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with tracked vehicles and the drive track assemblies thereof designed for use on snow and ice for ski and snow mobile trail dressing operations. More particularly, the invention pertains to specialized drive track assemblies for such vehicles which are specially modified so as to clear snow and ice adjacent the drive wheels of the track assemblies to thereby prevent buildup of snow and ice and consequent breakage thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Owners of ski resorts are confronted with the problem of periodically "dressing" their ski and snow mobile trails to facilitate use thereof. Equipment has been designed for the dressing task, and generally includes a tracked vehicle equipped with a forward dozer blade as well as pull-behind snow dressing equipment. In use, the vehicle is driven along a trail to be dressed with the forward dozer blade clearing a path through freshly fallen or packed snow. The trailing dressing equipment completes the treatment by providing a generally flat surface of desired width or, in the case of cross-country ski trails, adjacent sets of narrow ski-receiving furrows.
One known class of tracked snow vehicle makes use of a pair of track assemblies each made up of relatively narrow, spaced-apart belts which support outwardly and transversely extending metallic angles or cleats. Such track assemblies are deficient in that the vehicles cannot be driven or used except in snow and ice. Thus, during the off-season, these vehicles are essentially useless. Moreover, they cannot be driven over conventional roadways for any distance because the track cleats will destroy the roadway.
Vehicle track assemblies made up of a series of track wheels supporting a continuous, substantially imperforate rubber track have also been proposed in the past. These track assemblies present significant potential advantages, in that the vehicle could be used year round and not limited solely to snow and ice operations. Thus, such a vehicle could be used in wintertime for trail dressing operations, and in summer for mowing or the like. Furthermore, such track assemblies can be driven over conventional roadways without damaging the latter or destroying the track assemblies.
Attempts at using rubber track assemblies of this type as a part of a snow dressing vehicle have met with a very serious problem, however. Specifically, it has been found that snow and ice picked up by the imperforate rubber track tends to rapidly build up in the region of the drive wheel of the track assembly. This in turn imposes stresses on the support axles of the forwardmost tensioning wheel, causing it to break. Indeed, experiments with conventional rubber track drive assemblies has proven that, in snow and ice conditions, the vehicles are rendered inoperative only after a short distance of travel.
There is accordingly a significant need in the art for an improved rubber track assembly having drive wheel structure which can effectively clear snow and ice and prevent undue buildup thereof between the drive wheel and the adjacent belt.